Air-motor.



0. L. HOWE;

AIR MOTOR.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31,1316- 1,266,472. Patented Mayl l, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

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0. L. HOWE.

AIR MOTOR.

APPLICAT I 1,26647g' lON FILED MAR 31 1916 Patented May14 1918' a SHEETSSHEET 2.

0. L. HOWE.

AIR MOTOR.

APPLICATION man MAR. 3L, I916.

Patented May 14, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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in In UNITED STATES client. HOWE, or MISSOIILA, .MQNIANA AIR-MOTQE- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Maylgt, 1918.

.Application filed Ma11c11:31,:13.16. Seria1 No.:87,9.43.

TocZZ whom it may concern:

:Be it known that 1, -OLAF L. Hown, .of Missoula, in the county of Missoula .and State of Montananhave inventechcertain new and useful improvements in Air-Wotors; and I110 ghereby-declarethe following to be a full, 'clear, .and exact description of the invention, :such as will. enable others .skilled .in :the art .to which it appertains tomake and useithesame.

My present zi-IlVQIltlOD provides. certain improvements inair motors andespecially in the type of motor shown in any pending application :for patent filed May 17, 1915, SerialrNo. -28;'t?79.

:Ingthe apparatus covered :by said application; aplurality of vane sframes aremounted on an endless carrier and each frame is equipped with a series of vanes which are pivoted in the frame and free to turn to render them efi'ective or inelfective to operate the motor.

The present improvements contemplate a :seriesof vanes directly mounted on carriers and each vane equipped with adjusting means, while improved means are provided for rendering the vanes ineffective. The ,garrangement ofthe carriers is such that-they "will b'e automatically thrown out of operative position in the event of excessive force striking-the vanes; k

In -the drawings, Figure 1 isa' plan view;

gQaside-ele'vation; Fig. 3 a cross sectional view of one ofthe vane carriers; 'Fig. 4 details of the manner of mounting the-vane carriers; Fig. 5 a perspective of one of the-vanes, and Figs. 657; 8 are deta'ils; Fig. Tshowing a rigid surfaceQl and Fig. -'8 a canvas surface; "Fig. 9 is a slight modification.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a circular-track 1 upon which the entire structure is movable, as we'll understood in the art, the main gframe- Work being mounted upon the rollers 2 which are -movable over the --traok, I and so connected thereto as to prevent derailment. I employ a I -rudder 3 which' is adapted to be turned by the wind so as to place the parts in :the proper position for action according to any c irection in which the wind may be blowing.

The rudder is shown mounted upon a contral-uprightrodesecured to the framework. In line with this rod is a shaft 4 having aband wheelet from which the power ofthe motor may be taken off.

By .reference to Fig. 1, it will .beseen that d have provided a pair of vane carriers '5,

r6 eachhaving a bracket 7, shown indetail in Fig. etmountedupon the ,rodl. Each of these vane carriers .is adapted to be rendered inoperative whennecessary regardlessof the posltlonoftherudder '3. I "have-shown them in Fig. "1 provided with ropes or cables 8 which extend over pulleys 9.011 :the rudder '3. These ropes or cablesextend downward through the rudder and :have suitable weights A secured to them. The tendency .ofthese weights is itovmove the vane carriers from-the full "line position of Fig. 1 into the .dotteddine position. Aasecond pair of ropes or cables 10 are also secured to'the carriers and extend over pulleys .12 mounted in-the rudder frame and over a drum 13 mounted in the frame.andihavingan operating handle .14. A-weightB (Fig.2) is attachedto-each of the cables 10, ithese'weights counterloalancing the weights A so as to hold the car- :riers in operative position. When it :is desired to positively render :the motor ineffective the handle 14 may be operated to turn the vane carriers 5, 6, intothe dotted line position indicated in Fig. 1. "When the carriers are in the full line position of Fig. 1 and the wind velocity becomes greater than desired for the operation of the motor this :forcewill automatically turn the carriers, overcoming the resistance of weight B, into the dotted line position, the weight B being lifted and held by the trip 14 which may riers' move to the operative or inoperative position.

Each of the vanes consists of a swiveled element free to turn within certain limits,

the'bodily advance of the vanes collectively v ffecting' the rotation ofthe shaft 4*. I have shown each of the vane carriers 5, 6,

equipped with sprockets 16 above and beheath the series of vanes -17. The corresponding pairs of these sprocketsgare connected by chains '18. 1 The inner sprocket of each of "the carriers operates the sprocket 19 keyed upon the shaft i= through the medium of chains 20.

In Figs, 5 to 8 'I have shown appropriate pieces 26 of each of the vanes is a vertically.

disposed tube 24 through which passes a rod '25 forming a swivel mounting for the vane.

The tubes are mounted in the .cross pieces and to one side of the center thereof by the forked members 27, Fig. 6. The rod 25 is fixedly secured to links of the chain 18 as at 28. As shown in Fig. 3, rollers 29 on the rods 25 above and beneath the vane engage track surfaces 30-to form a bearing. surface and maintain the vanes in steady position. As also shown in Fig. 3 an additional bearing at the top may be provided by vertically disposed rollers 31 mounted above rollers 29 and engaging the track surface, the track being shown in the form of an angular plate which affords surfaces for both rollers 29 and 31 and track 30 duplicated, that is, at both the inner and outer sides of the roller. In Fig. 9 is shown a slightly modified form of this feature, where the upper track 30 is only on the inside of roller 29 and the roller 31 has a double flange and engages upper and lower tracks 31 and 31. This form is equally effective in holding the vane as against lateral displacement.

' To prevent a vane in its ineffective position from being so far turned by the wind as to render it a retarding influence, I have shown in Fig. 3 a roller 32 adapted to engage a track 33.

On each of the chains 18 at the point of location of a vane I have shown an are shaped plate 34 (Fig. 5) formed with a series of-holes 35 adapted to receive pins 36. These pins may be placed in any of the holes to regulate the swing of the vanes, the-pins acting as stops. I have shownthe opposite plates 34 connected by rods 37.

To insure the air acting upon the vanes so as to tend to advance them and the chains .18 in the proper direction I mount the vanes vane carriers 5, 6, will be directly in the path of the air, with the result that as the air currents strike the vanesmounted between chains18 such vanes will be carried forward and around. theinner. sprockets 16,

the motion thus created being communicated to the central shaft e As the vanes pass around the inner sprockets they will be auto- .matically turned about their pivots by the force of the air current striking against that .surface B, C, of the vane offering the greater resistance. The vanes will accordingly be practically parallel with the currents on the return flight being again automatically thrown broadside to the wind as they-round the outer sprockets 16 of the carriers. 1 I

I claim as my invention:

1. In an air motor, a track, a able on said track, a rudder responsive to the direction of'the windand forming part of said frame, a plurality of vane carriers, means for maintaining said vane carriers in positions to resist the air force, and means for automatically moving said carriers to inefi'ective positions when the air velocity reaches a predetermined point.

2. In an air motor, a track, a frame movframe mov- 1 able on said track, a rudder. responsive to the direction of the wind and forming part of said frame, a plurality of vane carriers,

ropes connecting said carrierswith said the direction of the wind and forming part of. said frame, a vane carrier, and means for maintaining said carrier in operative-por;

sition relatively to saidrudder, said carrier having a plurality. of vanes pivotally mounted thereon, and means for limiting the movement of said vanes to maintain them in their efiective positionsf 4.-. In an air motor, a track, a frame movable on said track, a rudder responsive to the direction of the wind and forming part of said frame, a vane carrier, and means for maintaining said carrier in operative position relatively to. said rudder, said carrier having a plurality of vanes pivotally mounted thereon, means for limiting the movement of said vanes to maintain them in their effective positions, and guides for said vanes- 5. In an air' motor, an endless carrier comprising upper and lower flights of chains, a vertically disposed rod secured to said chains, a vane fulcrumed on said rod, a

track, a roller on said vane normally out of contact with said track but adapted to en gage the same to limit the swing of. the vane.

In testimony. whereof, I have signedthis specification.

.OLAF L. sows.

can of thii patent may be ottainen for-five cents eachfb y addressing the fGommssionezg I:

' waghingto'mnc. 

